apple galette

February 23, 2011

My first galette! A few months ago my sister made a really delicious berry galette, and when Norris told me she'd like an apple galette for her birthday I knew it was finally time to try it myself. I went to the ever-useful, Deb, for advice, but unfortunately this was the first time that a Smitten recipe didn't come out perfectly for me. The apple to dough ratio was a little off so I've fixed it below for future reference. But, even though there were holes in my dough and apple juice burned along my silicone liners, everything was still [golden] delicious. Okay... no more puns.

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter at low speed until the dough looks like coarse cornmeal. Add the rest of the butter, until the largest chunks resemble peas. Slowly dribble in a tablespoon or so of water, then mix and add more until the dough begins to come together. Run your fingers through the dough and begin forming a ball (if there are dry patches, add another tablespoon or so of water). Form a disk 4 inches in diameter, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Once ready, on a lightly floured surface, begin to roll dough out with a floured rolling pin (or muddler, or wine bottle..). As the dough thins, smooth over and repair cracks at the edge so it's one continuous circle. Roll the dough out to 14 inches in diameter, 1/8th - 1/4th of an inch thick.

Place dough on silicone mat or parchment paper. Assemble apples in the middle, with at least 2 inches from the perimeter of the circle. Begin to fold dough onto the apples, making vertical pleats in the dough. Brush apples and dough with melted butter then sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top.

Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes, rotating the galette every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for at least a few minutes before you enjoy it warm and fresh.*